


Reluctant and Not

by Ttiiggeerr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Complete, Creature Fic, M/M, Secrets, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 11:37:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20389081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ttiiggeerr/pseuds/Ttiiggeerr
Summary: Blaise forces Draco to play truth or dare with Gryffindors. What will happen when certain members are trying to avoid giving out too much information? What happens when secrets are revealed and loves are announced? And will Ron be jealous? Read and find out! Creature!fic





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

I kept walking. No way was I playing that blasted game…with anyone! Especially Gryffindors. No way.

"Please Draco? If you don't do it, I will curse your balls off." Blaise's voice was dead serious, and I believed him.

"Malfoys don't play truth or dare."

"Fuck your name. You just don't want to play because Potter will be there." It's not true, it's not true, it's not true, it's not true…

"That's a lie."

"Like hell it is. I'll pay you." Needing the extra money for clothes that Father would never pay for, I reluctantly agreed.

A few minutes later, we were standing in front of the Fat Lady.

"Hello Slytherins. What do you need?"

"Hello Fat Lady. Could you tell the gang that I'm here and that Malfoy agreed to come?"

"Sure thing, Blaise." She disappeared and I looked at Blaise. He shrugged.  
The portrait door opened, and Neville let us in. I didn't say anything, just nodded as I walked past. I didn't want to say anything I would regret later.

"Decided to join us this time, did you?" Not. Good. I knew Harry bloody Potter would be playing but it just now hit me with the severity of what I had agreed to

Was the world bent on killing me? First, I have to play truth or dare. Second, I have to be with Gryffindors. Third, I have to be in the Gryffindor Common Room. Fourth, Harry Potter was here. And fifth, well, if there's five things that are going against me that says enough. I don't want to know how many things are wrong with this moment in time. The thought of it alone could give me a heart attack.

I didn't like the odds. Or the stakes. This could be bad.

"Let's get on with it, then."


	2. Chapter 2

"Usual rules and here. The potion will last about three hours and will prevent you from lying." Why does she have to be so smart? All of us drank and Hermione went first.

"Harry, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What's your sexual orientation?" Mudblood started the stakes high…

"Gay. Blaise?"

"Dare, of course." Blaise smirked, knowing full well that he didn’t want to be telling the truth anytime soon. Dares were just too fun to pass up.

"I dare you to dye your hair blue with muggle dyes. No spelling it that way!"

"Done. By this time tomorrow my hair will be a bright blue. Hermione?"

"Truth."

"What turns you on the most?"

"Dirty talk." She blushed a deep red at that, but continued on with a determined look about her. Who knew? "Draco," I looked up surprised to hear my name. 

“Uh...truth I suppose? I sure as hell don’t want to risk dying my hair blue of all colors.” Blaise snickered at that little comment.

"What turns you on? Only one thing, mind you." Damn it all. How can I get around this without giving myself away?

"Black hair. Harry, truth or dare?" Subject change was my ultimate best friend right now.

"Truth."

"Do you use toys, and if so, what kind?" If they were going to dance around the subject, then I would go in for the kill.

"It depends." Well fuck; he should be in Slytherin. His face turned about fifty-nine different shades of red. "Blaise?"

"I pick…dare."

"I dare you to…take Draco's shirt off." He did, much to my complaint. At least he didn’t make it overly sexual like he could have.

"Draco, truth or dare?" The gleam in Blaise’s eyes challenged me to wiggle out of my comfort zone.

"Dare,” I sighed. I was resigned to my fate now.

"I dare you to sit on Potter's lap." I gaped. "It's either that or tell Dumbledore that he's a big old fat codger of a man in the Great Hall." I, less than reluctantly, went to go sit on the Golden Boy's lap.

"Harry, truth or dare?" My face felt like the pits of hell.

"I'm not afraid of you. Dare."

"I dare you to show us your favorite toy." Putting the humiliation on someone else would get me through this, as would taking two shots of firewhiskey in quick succession.

"Okay." He lifted me off his lap, which was a part of what I was aiming for, and came back a minute later with a collar and leash in hand. He set them down on the table and put me back on his lap. Damn it! Well this sucks.

"Hermione?" The witch chose truth, obviously seeing where some of the men were taking the game. "How many people have you cum in front of?" She blushed, less violently than before. 

"Seven. Harry, truth or dare?"

"I'm a Gryffindor, I pick dare." I watched as the girl got a twisted smile on her face. Hahaha, this is going to be funny.

"I dare you to put that leash and collar on Draco." WHAT? OKAY, NOT FUNNY ANYMORE! SERIOUSLY! IS IT APRIL FOOL'S DAY ALREADY?  
I must have frozen in place, because I heard Blaise telling me to relax. And…was I really blushing? Could I blush? What the hell? Me?

Upon realizing that I was, indeed, blushing, I hid my face into the first thing that I could.

Harry's shoulder.

Well crap.

I heard him whisper quietly, so quietly I had to strain to hear him, 'sorry' as he put the damn collar on me. When I finally looked up, I saw that he was just as red as me.

The game progressed and the only embarrassing thing I had to do was hit myself in the forehead (honestly, what was Blaise thinking?). They must have taken pity on me at some point, because as soon as I got something reasonable, the others stopped too.

Harry avoided any personal questions, and took a leaf out of my book. I continued being vague and aloof on any questions I was asked, and Harry attempted to follow my brilliant strategy. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't the best at it.

It was nearing the last half hour of the potion when Hermione went.

"Harry, truth or dare?" He looked surprised at being picked as no one had picked him in almost fifteen minutes.

"Oh, um...truth, I guess..." A truly frightening smile lit up her face as soon as the words left his plump lips. Wait! Hold everything! Since when do I notice anyone's lips?

"Right. Tell us something no one but yourself knows. Not even something only one person knows." His face paled, and I felt a rush of pity. Feeling the urge to help the Golden Boy, I wrecked my brain about the way these Gryffindors play Truth or Dare.

"If a player wishes to take a dare or truth from another player, then they must wait for a full thirty seconds before requesting to take it. Only if majority of the group votes yes can he or she take the truth or dare." Hope surged through me at the memory.

I waited the remainder of the thirty seconds, and then could no longer hold in my eagerness to help. Not that Malfoy's are eager or anything...

"I wish to take Harry's truth." Everyone stared.

"Seriously?" Blaise looked at me with amazement. I nodded.

"Everyone in consent? That's majority. So Draco, something no one knows about you. Start spilling." I nodded. Something that no one knew, yet something that wouldn't give away too much.

"Well, the Sorting Hat didn’t want to put me in Slytherin."

"WHAT? But the hat barely touched your head!" Blaise’s outburst made it aparant that he wouldn’t have believed me without the truth serum.

"Well I told it I wanted to be in Slytherin." I shrugged. "Blaise, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to ask out your crush tomorrow." He paled. About time, too.

"Draco, truth or dare?" Shiiiiiiiiiiiit...

"Dare." He's not going to scare me.

"I dare you to play your favorite music with that charm that Flitwick showed us." I shrugged and let the sweet symphonies of Adam Lambert inject my body and mind with courage. Everyone seemed surprised at some of the lyrics and their more suggestive meanings. Everyone, that is, except Harry. He actually seemed to know the music, if his humming was anything to judge by.

I watched him out of the corner of my eyes and hardly paid attention as the game came to a rather abrupt close. He opened his eyes, and I suddenly realized that the only thing I wanted in that moment in time was to get lost in those green depths and to lean against him. At the thought of leaning, I remembered where I was, and sat up ramrod straight.

"I think it's an excellent idea, what about you Harry?"

"What's a good idea..?" Caution colored his voice.

"Seven Minutes in Heaven, of course! We'll alter it so if you chose not to go, you must answer one really personal question about yourself." He reluctantly nodded as Neville came over to join us, claiming his essay was completed. Neville spun first, and it landed on Hermione. They both left to the confinements of a closet for seven minutes while the rest of them talked.

Blaise spun next, and the bottle landed on me. After vehement protesting from the both of us, the others let us answer questions instead.

"Fine. Who's your crush Blaise?” Hermione seemed a little bent out of shape that the subject of Blaise’s crush never came up earlier.

"Professor Snape."

"Draco, why'd the hat tell you not Slytherin?" She clearly isn’t going to let anything go.

"It actually told my Gryffindor. It said that the one I'd grow to love and need for the rest of my life would be with me in Gryffindor and it would let things go smoother. Plus, it said I wouldn't really grow into Slytherin stereotype material." Blaise snickered. "At least I don't have petty crushes on professors with greasy hair."

I spun the vial and it landed right back on me.

"Looks like you'll be stuck with Harry." Before I could say anything, I was suddenly in the air and moving towards the closet.

"I can walk perfectly well on my own, thank you very much!" I looked at my fellow Slytherin and quickly learned that it was not him, nor the Gryffindors who was levitating me.

It was Harry.


	3. Chapter 3

He followed me for much longer than I thought possible, but that might be because he kept turning to tell Hermione to cancel all her other plans concerning him and me. She seemed more put-out than she really had a right to.

My hopes soared. Did that mean he's going to spend the rest of the night in my company? Similar thoughts and questions chased and rattled around in my brain until I felt my bottom touch the floor.

I stood up and looked around, alarmed at the sudden disappearance of light.

There was a shuffle from in front of me, and I heard Harry whisper a silencing charm on the door and a quiet request for me to back up as far as I could. I did so, and gasped when I felt him reaching behind my head for something...although it was a gasp of pain.

"Sorry...Lumos." He set his wand down on the top shelf and hoisted himself up. He then proceeded to levitate me up to the top shelf with him, where a few candles sat next to a picnic basket. He lit the candles and put his wand out, obviously preferring the firelight over the bright glare of his wand.

He must have seen my glare towards the basket because he commented on it soon enough. "I keep food up here on game nights."

"Why?" The question left my mouth before I could think about it. He smiles, clearly pleased he got something out of the Ice Prince without it being coated in venom.

"Because I always hoped to get you up here to talk to you."

"Why up here? Why not the common room?"

"You misunderstand...my friends are horrible eavesdroppers, even if they don't show it. Speaking of which..." He cast a few more locking and silencing charms towards the door.

"So...talk about what?"

"Well I'm not gonna lie, a lot of this is more personal than it is superficial. I know pretty much all of the on-the-surface things when it concerns you. I had to know them to be your enemy." I nodded, understanding completely. It was for the same exact reason that I knew the superficial things about him.   
As I thought about all the time wasted on trying to find out as much as I could about the Golden Boy, I noticed a gentle blush start to paint his cheeks.

"So talk."

"Are..." he cleared his throat. "Are you straight or are the rumors true?" The blush got redder, something I found rather impossible as his skin was already so dark.

"Honestly, you don't know?" He shook his head and I could tell he was going to take his question back but before he could, I pulled out a picture. "Would I wear this if I were straight?" I watched as his eyes grew wide at the fishnet shirt and leather pants ensemble Pansy made me get. It was one of my favorite outfits. He looked up at me under cautious eyes.

"I want to see you in that sometime. That'd be hot." I flushed as he handed the picture back again.

"Thanks, but yeah, I'm gay." He flashed me a quick look and went back to rummaging around in the basket for something. The silence that enveloped us in the little closet only took seconds, but it felt like hours. I always loved to be in his presence and just like every other time I instigated an argument to get his attention, this was no different. It was nice. I realized that I actually liked spending time with the lion, if a little uncomfortable at being in said lion's den. "Can we stop fighting?" The question came out of nowhere, but I didn't regret it. If he wasn't willing to talk to me civilly in public then I guess the fights would have to continue.

"That is one question that will have to wait for a later time." He looked at me, unleashing the full power of his eyes on me, with his warm eyes. "Word on the street is that Draco Malfoy adores coffee." I brightened instantly.

"Absolutely! I'll make it though, I'm rather picky about..." My objection dwindled into nothing as I watched in awe as Harry expertly prepared my coffee for me. He did it faster and better than I did. When he was done, he openly laughed at my astonished expression. Although I didn't recall letting my Slytherin coldness to leave my jaw on the floor. "How'd you...?"

"Simple. I pay attention. Now drink, I didn't poison it, you know." I took a cautious sip and almost died in ecstasy. "What'd you do different?"

"I added strawberry juice."

"...No seriously." There was no way such a simple ingredient could make such a monumental difference.

"Seriously that's it. You do like it, don't you?"

"Hell yes! How'd you know I like strawberries?"

"Simple, I paid attention. When I saw you virtually gorge yourself on nothing but strawberries once a week, I decided it wasn't healthy so I had a friend put them on the tables every day. Good things in moderation not gorging yourself. That's just a recipe for disaster." We fell into a comfortable silence as I sipped my coffee, not wanting the goodness to end.

"So what else is in that thing?" I indicated towards the basket with a nod of my head.

"Basically fruit...juice...um...and apparently a spare rib..."

"What?" Well there goes the Malfoy Ice Prince cover. Or what was left of it. He pulled out what was once an entire rack of ribs with one unfinished at the bottom. It was so bizarre and random that I burst out into a fit of giggles. Only after I was done did he say anything.

"Done being cute?" I nodded, not trusting myself to talk, lest I start laughing again. "Good, because I've got another question." I indicated for him to ask. "Does your dad know?" The dead silence was so thick I had an issue giving a curt shake of my head.

"He's dying as we speak. If I tell him now, he'll disinherit me. It's not that I don't want him to know, it's that I'd rather him die thinking that he could be proud of his only son. Even if he doesn't remember me anymore. It's easier letting people see an image of what they want to see, rather than seeing what is really there.”

“What do you plan on doing after school? It is N.E.W.T. year you know..."

"I...don't know. I planned on being an Auror, but spying for the Order really made me reconsider. I'm sick of the lying and the hiding and the being undercover and double spying and triple spying. It's not fun to say the least. So I think I'll just go to the muggle world to hide away for a year or two. Maybe learn to bartend or something beauty related." He nodded. "So, why'd you want to talk to me?"

"Because I find your company intriguing and I have questions about you that I'll never get the answer to if we're going to be shouting at each other."

"Ask away." My stomach did a few flips and I took another sip of me coffee to sooth my nerve.

"Do you hate me?" I gaped, appalled he'd ever come to that conclusion, and embarassed that the fighting had only made it seem like I did.

"Of course not!" His downcast face brightened a little.

"But you don't like me..." His eyes clouded a little at the thought.

"Yes, I like you. Who wouldn't?" He muttered something that I didn't quite catch. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that."

"I said you don't like me the way that I want you to..." He crawled back into a corner slowly as he confessed this. I gotta give him points, he may belong in Slytherin when he wants to be sneaky but he's definitely more of a lion than a snake for admitting that. I noticed that he had moved a good two feet away from me, and I was not very happy with the lack of warmth he put off. Only then did what he said sink in.

I slid over next to him, traveling much faster than he had moved away from me, a move purely to keep him from escaping to the safety of his friends.

"And who says I don't?"

"Well...no one did, but..."

"And just how do you want me to like you, Golden Boy?" He looked at me, clearly intent on telling me off for calling him by one of his many hated nicknames. But once he looked up, it seemed he couldn't look away. 

Eventually he did and stared intently at his knees, which were pulled against his chest. I brushed a stubborn lock of his hair away from his face with my left hand, my right placing my coffee by the basket so it wouldn't accidentally spill.

He looked up again, clearly startled by the feeling of my hand on his hair and took in my current position. My legs curled into my right side, my face only a mere twelve inches from his.

"Who did the Sorting Hat say you were going to need?"

"Well, it said that I would know when I was ready to accept who it was. And I do know. I've known since last year." He swallowed.

"And...who is it?" I looked at him, took in his miserable appearance, and decided to take pity on the poor man. He clearly needed to know. I put my index finger under his chin and pulled his face up to mine so I could clearly see his eyes.

"You."

Watching Harry take in the information I just gave him was funnier than watching a drunk elephant wearing a pink tutu stand up on its hind legs and attempting to bow.

"Really?" I nodded, and he didn't look away from me. Noticing that my legs were going numb from lack of blood, I shifted my position. Stupid blood circulation...However, it could be considered a good thing, since the action brought me closer to him. I was now a total of six inches from the Golden Boy. Holy shit...damn hormones, be quiet! Stop trying to rampage around and take control of my actions!

"I'm dreaming. I'm going to wake up in a few minutes and realize I made all this up in my sleep."

"No." I disagreed with every fiber of my being. "This is reality, how can I prove that to you?"

"I don't know." So, as he didn't know, I did the first thing I could think of that would appease my raging hormones and yet make him see that I wasn't going anywhere...and hopefully not confuse him anymore. I kissed his hand.

CRACK!

"DOBBY!" If I jumped three feet at the sudden noise, I jumped three miles at Harry's sudden exclamation.

"Dobby is sorry Mister Harry Potter sir, but Dobby must take the spare rib Winky dropped into the basket"

"Why's it take you so long to figure out where it was?"

"Winky passed out, Mister Harry Potter sir, and she only woke up a few minutes ago to tell Dobby she wanted her rib back. Winky is terribly distressed Mister Harry Potter Sir."

"Okay, okay, go ahead. But please only come back if I call for you, you almost gave poor Draco a heart attack." As if only noticing me for the first time, my old house elf squeaked.

"Mister Draco Malfoy! Such a long time, a truly long time, sir!"

"Hello Dobby. Still have a thing for socks?"

"Yes sir, very much so. Well, Dobby must see that Winky gets her rib. Goodbye Misters Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy!"

CRACK!

"Talk about ruining the moment."

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"What else did you want to ask me?" He shifted and I backed up until only our legs were touching. I cradled my coffee as he answered my hesitant question.

"Well, just things in general." I gave him a pointed look. "Why did you fight with me so much? You seemed to put considerate effort into making me miserable." I sat and thought on his question for a minute or so before answering.

"Well, if my father ever found out that I wasn't being mean to the famed Harry Potter, then he would have done terrible things. So I appeased him. Plus, it gave me an excuse to talk to you, to get to know you...even if it wasn't the way I wanted." He nodded thoughtfully.

"What's your favorite color?" The question was out of the blue and completely unexpected; I had no time to think about my answer before I gave it.

"Lime green." He looked taken aback. "What?"

"I figured you would say something like silver or black. Not lime green, that was a little unexpected." I smiled. He can make my coffee better than I can, and yet he doesn't know what kind of colors I prefer...

"What's yours?"

"Mine? Hot pink." Now it was my turn to be surprised.

"Really? I thought something more muted like grey or red." He chuckled.

"Well I'm not a very muted person. Around my friends, most definitely. But when the aren't around, I'm a night owl and a party animal." He looked up at me through half-closed eyes with a sinfully sweet smile that should be made illegal.

Then what he said sunk in.

I didn't expect him to be a night owl by choice, and it seemed that it didn't bother him at all. And the party animal part really surprised me because I never would have imagined him at a club or a rave...or a party at all.

"Surprising." He cocked his head to the side.

"How so?"

"Well, normally I'd expect that sort of thing to come from me or Blaise, not you."

"It seems that you have a lot to learn about me then." He leaned back, and the tense atmosphere broke.

A loud knocking interrupted my coffee-drinking and thinking session as Harry openly stared at me.

"Harry. Harry. HARRY!"

"Finite. Yes Hermione, what do you want?" He let the annoyance run think into his voice.

"I'd like to speak to your face and not a door, for one."

"And?" She sighed audibly.

"Oh fine. It's Blaise, he's waiting for Malfoy. He wants to go–"

"And I damn well am not leaving without my friend!" Blaise's voice drowned Hermione's voice out when he cut her off mid-sentence.

"No." My voice was loud and clear, a fact I was proud of. Only a hint of my obvious anger showed. "I can make it back to the dungeons perfectly fine on my own. I don't need a babysitter every single second of my life. Go on, there's a good lad."

"But...Draco, you're in a closet with Harry Potter."

"I’m well aware, thanks. I've only been talking to him for a few hours, how could I be so stupid as to not realize that I am, indeed, within three feet of the boy and not trying to kill him?" Sarcasm flowed through, thick and heavy, like poison in my voice.

"But Pansy..."

"Can take care of herself. I don't give a damn if she throws a fit; she's not my fucking mother. My mother is dead, and she has no right to be concerned about me as much as she is. Now, go on and make sure she doesn't cause another scene with her stupid tantrums." He huffed, and I heard him stomp off.

"Harry, the rest of us are going to bed."

"Okay." He quickly reset the spells he cancelled.

"Are your friends always that demanding of you?"

"Sort of." A fond smile lit up his face a little. "They know where to leave it, at least. Are your friends always so overprotective?

"Most definitely. It's really annoying after a few days. I always have to be with one of them, otherwise they get way too edgy. No idea why either..."

"What are they going to do when you start dating?"

"How do you know I'm not dating anyone else right now?" I challenged.

"Easy. I keep informed. You rarely get alone time, let alone enough time to be dating someone. Not to mention Blaise and Pansy make social shit impossible, unless you're ragging on anyone you meet in the corridors. And they're always in the same room as you, if they're not right next to you."

"How do you know that?" It was impossible, unless he's been stalking me under a disillusion charm...or maybe he's got an invisibility cloak...

"I have my secrets and you have yours. Rest assured that I don't follow you, not really."

"Then how do you know?"

"Ask no questions, and I'll tell no lies."

"You spend too much time around the Weasley twins."

"Perhaps, but I do pick up on some useful things." He paused, thinking. "Maybe I'll tell you in time." I let that pacify me for the moment.

"Why were you staring at me before?" I just couldn’t get that question out of my head.

"Because I wanted to, and because I couldn't help it." I nodded, intending to get a more specific answer out of him.

"And why is that?"

"I wanted to because you're extremely easy on the eyes, and I wanted to so much I simply couldn't help it." He looked a little sheepish, and I nodded again.

"What time is it?"

"Does it matter?" I shook my head. "What time do you think it is?"

"Um...nine-thirty?"

"Nah, it's actually eleven-forty."

"Wow. We've been up here longer than I thought." I was suddenly hit by a wave of instant fatigue and yawned, struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Would you like to go to the dungeons?" I shook my head, eyes closed.

"Too tired." through my irritation at sounding so small, I felt my stance begin to wobble, and then I was pressed against something warm and firm."

"Just sleep, then."

"M'kay." And darkness overcame me as I fell asleep, smelling the one thing that was irresistibly Harry.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up slowly, and let the smell of what I knew to be Harry surround me. After a moment, I shifted my position slightly, and continued to refuse to open my eyes. I felt arms surround me, and I fell back asleep to the gentle humming of a simply beautiful lullaby.

The next time I woke up, I opened my eyes only after realizing I was being watched. I found myself staring into emerald green eyes, and for once in my life I felt completely relaxed.

"Good morning." Harry's rough voice forced my mind into focus mode.

"Mmmmm..." My voice wouldn't produce more than that, so I didn't bother trying to make words come out.

"I figured you'd want coffee, so I made you some before you woke up." He unwound an arm from around me, an action I was not pleased about, and reached for a mug. He handed it to me, and to my pleasure, put it back around my waist.

"Thanks." He stared in astonishment while I wondered how he managed to perfect the extremely complex makings of my coffee. Even I messed it up at least twice a morning.

"You can talk before breakfast?"

"I didn't even know it was possible, so suck it up and deal with the surprise silently while I enjoy my morning caffeine." He chuckled.

"Well, should we get breakfast? It's five in the morning so no one'll be up until eight since it's Saturday." I nodded, and gently unwound my way off his lap where I had fallen into unconsciousness the night before. He helped me down, much to my displeasure. I was perfectly capable of getting down off a six-foot high shelf by myself.

We went to the Great Hall together, and sat down at the Slytherin table, as it was closest to the door.

Eating silently was always one of my strong suits. I never talked when I ate, but apparently not today.

"Can we stop fighting?" The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it, and I tried apologizing for asking it.

"Don't apologize for asking a question. As for the answer...I don't see why not." I nodded, and a few more minutes passed in comfortable silence.   
When he was done eating, which wasn't much, he commenced conversation.

"May I ask why you want to stop fighting?"

"Because I'm tired of getting negative attention from you. I only teased you because I wanted attention, even if it wasn't positive. But in all honesty, I'd rather you talk to me because you want to, not because someone was hurt or being insulted." I shrugged. "Plus, if I was always insulting you, I'd just be wasting time that would be better spent making me look as hot as possible."

"A valid point. Now finish your waffles." I did, and we soon left the Great Hall.

"Where to?" I asked. After all, he wanted to seek me out first.

"Outside. It's nice out." I followed him into the Forbidden Forest, completely forgetting why it was forbidden, and we stopped by a little stream flowing through a patch of dew-covered roses and baby's breath. The spring sun shone sweetly through the leaves of the canopy above us, making a speckled light source in the warm air.

"So, why did you never mention you were sick of fighting?"

"Well, I thought I made it pretty clear when I stopped insulting you and your friends."

"You were ignoring us. There's a difference between ignoring and civil talking, you know." He smiled, and I nodded. I had to admit, I was slightly more than a little ashamed of my childish behavior and antics.

"You're right, I'm sorry." He took a step towards me.

"Don't be sorry for the past; accept it and move on. If there's anything I learned about defeating Voldemort, that would be it. Don't dwell on what you can no longer change, and what you cannot control. That's when you make mistakes." A hint of hurt flashes through his eyes, and I had the urge to ask why he never let anyone in; but I refrained, knowing that it would only push him away if I asked that particular question.  
And so started our tentative truce.

For the remainder of the school year, two months to be exact, Harry and I continued to talk to each other.

Well, not exactly talking the whole time.

For the first week we met, it was on the 'Room of Requirement' as Harry called it, late at night. However, that soon proved to be unhealthy as our N.E.W.T.s were fast approaching and we were exhausted from our studies.  
So, for the next five weeks, we wrote letters to each other. We delivered these letters with school owls, as ours were a bit ostentatious for us to use. We didn't exactly want other people knowing we were suddenly being friendly to each other yet. Sandy, my Eagle Owl, actually took this pretty well. Hedwig, apparently didn't take to this new system as well.

Harry had sent me a letter explaining his day, and right after that, he sent another one with dots of blood littering it. It read:

"Draco~  
Hedwig isn't okay with this whole school-owl delivery system to each other. I must have explained it a million times, but she just won't listen to me! Any suggestions, you know, so I can keep my eyes and fingers?  
~Harry"

Naturally I sent back a reply to both letters in one and suggested that he compliment her. All girl like compliments. He wrote back, relieved that compliments worked on his stubborn Snowy Owl. For the last three weeks, we separated our time with each other and our other friends. Late mornings and early afternoon we would spend with our other friends, and the rest of the time was for each other.

Our last meeting would be tonight.

I walked quickly down the hallways of the dungeons, and yelped when I was suddenly jerked to the side and through a door I didn't happen to notice.

"Hey, I thought we might converse here tonight." Recognizing the voice, I immediately stopped struggling.

"What the hell? I couldn't get a heads-up?"

"Well I kinda made up my mind a few minutes ago. No time to send an owl, I'm sorry." We caught up on the day's events as we ate a light meal, brought down by Dobby, and fairly soon we ran out of things to say. Neither one of us wanted the year to end.

I could clearly see that he knew that this was the last time we could be civil to each other for a few months.

"Look, Harry...I really enjoy being nice to you. You're not that bad...but I really don't want to have to continue hiding out friendship." He nodded and sat silently still for the better part of half of an hour.

"I know what you mean, I feel the same way."

"But...?"

"But you and I both know how out other friends will take it-not well. Pansy's always been jealous of Hermione and Ron will never forgive you for arguing with us. It's the way they are. I'm not sure I can drop my childhood friends, they're like family to me. Think about it; will Pansy accept it?" I stayed silent. "I thought not. And you won't do well without your friends either. You don't depend on them, but you like their company. They're a good distraction for you. And I know you need a distraction sometimes. And I can't always provide that for you.

"I can't live without my friends, I can't risk losing them. They're the only reason I'm still alive. They took care of me, whether I wanted them to or not. They were the first people to ever make me feel happy that I can remember."

My heart, which had forgotten the heaviness that used to weigh it down cause from emotional pain, felt like a hundred pounds in my chest. My once perfectly fine veins suddenly seized up with the effort of having to pump liquid lead through my body.

Needless to say, once I get attached, I really get attached. He could obviously see my internal struggle an took pity on me.

"Look, I don't want to hide our friendship either. Fuck, you know me as well as Ron and Hermione and we've only been talking for two months!" He took a deep breath and looked around before turning back to me, passion burning in his eyes. "I want to continue this, but if it means sacrificing Hermione and Ron, I can't. Not openly, at least. Look...let's try not to talk to each other this summer, and break it to our friends. We'll go from there I guess. It's only two months, after all."

I thought it over. Two months to tell Pansy and Blaise about my newest friend. I could do it. However, I couldn't help but wonder: could Harry do it?  
Eventually I nodded.

"All right. But once we tell them we have to tell each other. Okay?" He nodded. "I’ll be expecting to see Hedwig before August.”

"Only fair." We spent the remaining two hours talking about out plans for the summer, mainly consisting of staying out of our houses. His had his relative and mine had reminders of my parents' deaths.

The next day I was up at five and packed my letters from Harry so no one would have the chance to ask about them. When I finished I packed everything else so I didn't have to deal with it later. I made my way to the door when I heard wings rustle. I stopped to let Sandy land on my shoulder.

But instead of the usual weight, I felt a much lighter owl landed on me. I turned my head to come face-to-beak with Hedwig with a letter tied to her leg.

"Hey pretty girl. Why aren't you with Harry, huh? Finally realized a pretty girl belongs with a hot guy?" She nipped my ear affectionately and held out her leg so I could untie the parchment from her leg.

"Draco~  
I sent Hedwig this time because I want you to keep her over the summer as a reminder of me. It's a reminder of our friendship. Plus, she wanted to get to know you and wouldn’t take no for an answer.  
~Harry"

I grabbed my quill, ink, and parchment I had taken to keeping on my person no matter what. Sandy came to greet me as I finished writing, flying through the Great Hall windows like it was nothing.

"Harry~  
I'd be delighted to watch Hedwig for the summer. In return, I'm sending Sandy home with you. She's well behaved and if she acts up just put her in a cage for the day. Can't wait until the summer's over, and good luck with your friends.  
~Draco"

I explained the situation to Sandy and watched her fly back out the window determinedly.

"Finally agreed to get along, eh Draco?"

"Professor Dumbledore! I didn't know you were here, I-"

"Please, calm yourself. I'm just a person. Now, are you going to answer my question?"

"Well it's complicated to say the least."

"So I assumed. Why don't you and Harry's magnificent friend come with me so you can talk and I can listen in peace?" I hastily agreed and followed the Headmaster to his office. After politely declining a bunch of sweets, I let my heart pour out to him.

"I see. So, do you plan on doing anything if Harry's friends don't accept it?"

"Well, I...no. I'd like to hex them to see reason, but that would just make it worse."

"I daresay, it would. Well, as the muggles say, good luck!" I nodded my thanks and left to board the train home. Thank God that as a prefect an a Malfoy I got my own compartment.

I sat there, alone, waiting.


	5. Chapter 5

That summer was one of the warmest summers the manor had ever endured. I no sooner arrived with my trunk and Harry's owl, and I decided I would vacation in France. Quickly I pulled put a quill and some parchment, intending to write Harry a quick note.

"Harry~  
Hedwig has been very helpful lately. I never knew I should try wearing blue, but I must admit, it's a good color for me. Anyway, it's way too warm at the Manor for me, so I'll be in France. Thought you should know since it'll take Sandy longer to get to the house in France than here.  
~Draco"

After tying the note to her leg, Hedwig took off out the window. Deciding to stay until she returned, I shed my clothes and put on a pair of linen boxers for bed.

Even though it was sweltering hot, I managed to fall asleep quickly. I dreamt of black hair and white feathers. I woke up to a light weight on my stomach and opened my eyes to Hedwig. She had returned from her journey and had a letter tied to her leg.

"Draco~  
I understand completely. She gives me some good advice too. Anyways, thanks for the heads up. I'll keep it in mind. Remember-no more until friends know. Now stop frowning and smile when you give Hedwig a treat.  
~Harry"

I wondered at the last sentence. How could he possibly know that I was frowning? I dismissed the thought quickly. He had a way of knowing those things about me...then again, it worked both ways.

I made sure everything I needed was packed in the trunk I usually reserved for school and apparated to Diagon Alley.

The only things I did was go to Gringotts to refill my half-empty money bag and get mote owl treats for Hedwig. I was passing the pet store when I ran into Blaise and Pansy.

"Draco!" a surprised Pansy said.

"Ow!" was my brilliant response.

"Hey buddy." was Blaise's reaction.

"What are you two doing here?"

"We're here for Pansy's haircut and I needed money. What about you?"

"Gold an owl treats." Blaise looked up at the Snowy Owl on my shoulder.

"And a copy of Potter's bird?" I swallowed.

"No. Um...can I talk to you two?" They nodded. "Well," we started walking slowly towards the hair cuttery. "See...it is Harry's bird." I quickly continued before they could cut me off. "We've made a truce and we started to become friends. We traded owls for the summer as a reminder to each other that we had to break it to our other friends."

"Why?" Pansy didn't sound happy.

"Because I wanted people to know about us being friends. He didn't think his would be so forgiving so the deal was we'd drop all contact this summer until we told our friends." Pansy openly gaped and Blaise tried not to laugh at her. And failed epically.

"What is so funny?"

"Well, it was bound to happen. Either friendship or murder with those two." She stalked off. "She'll come around eventually. But she won't hate you. I'll go calm her down, you go do what you do." He ran after her and I pitied anyone who crossed her path now.

"Harry~  
I went to Diagon Alley the day after we got home from Hogwarts and ran into Blaise and Pansy. He took it okay, but she didn't. As I understand it, she's still in hysterics and hexing anyone and anything that even reminds her of either of us. I waited a month to send you this so you could have some time to yourself for awhile and not feel pressured into telling your friends before you were ready. I hope they take it well...or, at least not poorly, anyways.  
~Draco  
P.S. Hedwig really misses you so I'm sending this to you a week before I originally intended."

I sent the owl off with the fancy parchment and sat back in my chair. I missed the green-eyed git, but I supposed he would have to wait. For now, I had more important matters on my mind.

Like, say, the mysterious bird flying towards me. I took the letter from the tawny and recognized my lawyer's handwriting immediately.

"Mr. Malfoy~  
Your father died this morning at nine. He left everything to you. What do you wish to do with his remains?  
~Keith Weathers"

I got out more French parchment and penned a quick response.

"Mr. Weathers~  
Do whatever you want with the body. Transfer everything to my name. Have Aurors go through the Manor and clean the place out. No potions. No questionable artifacts. Be done within a month.  
~Draco Malfoy"

I didn't need his prying into where I was or if I cared so I made sure that the tone was one of finality. I just didn't want to deal with people right now. So, of course, the butler decided to tell me that someone was at the door. I waved him off, not really caring who was there.

"Make an excuse up. I'm sick or something."

"Oh, but that's hardly necessary." I jumped up and stuttered.

"Mr. Dumbledore...Sir...Professor...I...What are you doing here?"

"Sit, please. I'm here on a rather irritating matter. Now, can you tell me why the boy who managed to kill Voldemort, is currently crying in my office?"

"I...What?"

"Yes, I'd rather say that Harry's quite distressed right now. As if that wasn't odd enough, he shows up with two owls and several letters." I stood up.

"Where is he?"

"Dear boy, he's in my office. Come, come. Take my arm, I can apparate us straight there." His eyes twinkled. "Being Headmaster certainly has its perks." I took hold and stepped into the familiar nothingness. I opened my eyes to Dumbledore's office, a place I had only been to once before.  
And among all the swirling smoke and chiming objects, was Harry Potter.

Lying in the fetal position. Crying.

I knelt down next to his back and put a hand on his shoulder while Hedwig and Sandy tried to get him to open his eyes with their wings.  
"Harry?" I felt his body pull in closer to himself. "Harry...Answer me. Can you hear me?" He nodded. "What's wrong?"

After several failed attempts, Harry managed to get a decent breath. I didn't care how long I had to sit there, but I was going to make it better before I moved. It took a total of almost twenty minutes before he could talk at all.

"I-I got your letter a-and sent H-Hermione and Ron l-letters explaining ev-everything a-and Hermione sent a jinx back."

"What about Ron?"

"Didn't care."

"So he's okay with us being friends?" A slight nod was the only answer I got. "And she's not?" The lack of movement and increase in tears was all the answer I needed. "Come on." I lifted Harry up and carried him to the school's boundaries, Hedwig and Sandy following with all the letters Harry had been grasping when he arrived here. The birds landed on my shoulders and I apparated us back to the Manor.

I put Harry on my bed and left to write a letter, well half letter and half Howler.

"Hermione~  
I am sorry. I'm sorry for all the years I made hell for you. I'm sorry you don't like me. I'm sorry I messed up so royally with you. But that's no reason to make Harry cry in the Headmaster's office. If you can't deal with me, then that's our problem. Not his. So please, don't make this his problem. I care about him too.  
~Draco"

The last sentence I charmed to echo my voice when she reached that part of the letter. I made sure to make myself sound raw with emotion and sadness.

It wasn't hard. Clearly, I cared.


	6. Chapter 6

Her reply came quickly.

"Don't fuck up or I'll jinx you so bad you'll look worse than Voldemort himself." I blanched as I thought about hurting Harry. I couldn't do that, not to him.

I felt Harry stir and ran my hand over his face as he opened his eyes.

"Draco...?"

"Hiya Harry. Hermione sent a letter." I handed him an envelope addressed to him. He read it and stared at me.

"What did you do?" My confused expression must have asked my question for me. "She says she's not happy about us being friends but that she'll deal. Draco, what did you do?"

"Oh. I apologized for all my mistakes as an impressionable child. It was easier than I thought it would be. How do you feel?" He tried stretching and cringed. "Exactly what jinx did she send you?"

"A soreness charm..." I raised an eyebrow. More damage had been done than just a simple soreness charm. "Okay so it kinda sent me flying against the wall. I'm just sore." I called for a house-elf. "I'm fine."

"Okay. Dobby." A crack ensued, masking Harry's groan of displeasure.

"Yes Master Draco Sir?"

"Harry's hurt, I need you to go get a medi-witch."

"Yes Master Draco Sir, right away Sir. Anything to help Masters Harry Potter and Draco!" CRACK.

"Damn you.."

"Well then! I didn't know you felt so strongly."

A moment or two later a medi-witch apparated in with Dobby. I told Dobby to go back to Hogwarts and he left without another word. The Healer looked Harry over and pulled me aside.

"Um...He's got a few cracked ribs and his diaphragm is strained. I'm giving you a calming draught and a vial of Skele-Gro. Oh and a soreness potion. If he's not better within twenty-four hours, send that elf after me again. He might be a little dizzy from all the potions." She walked out and disapparated just outside of the Malfoy wards.

"Here. Drink these and go back to sleep."

"What are they?"

"Calming draught. Take it." He did and I told him what the witch told me. "Now take these." He did, and almost instantly fell asleep.

A few hours late I managed to get to sleep and woke up around four A.M. to the sound of someone tripping. I got up and pulled out my wand.  
The bedroom door was open, probably from when Dobby had walked in with a glass of water for me. I silently thanked the forgetfulness and jumped out the door.

Only to point my wand in the face of an Auror.

"Shit man," my voice was hushed, not wanting to wake the brunet. "you scared me. No warning owl?"

"No I'm sorry it's urgent apparently. Your lawyer called on me tonight and told me to start going through the place with my best team. He made it sound like you were on vacation. Fuck my life, I had forgotten.

"Well, wait until morning. I'd say around ten or eleven. I'll be awake and gone by then. Okay?" he agreed and left.

"Hey, any news about how the minister's doing under all this pressure?"

"No news yet although I'm sure the Prophet's cooked up something good again."

"Right. Have a good night."

"You too. Now off to my bed..." He gave off a huge yawn and disaparated as soon as he was outside the wards. Aurors work too many hours and don't sleep enough.

After closing the door, I heard a noise come from the room I had put Harry to sleep in. Naturally, my first thought was that he had hurt himself again-really when WASN'T he?-and crept inside quickly. The slight whimpering continued.

"Harry...?" I kept my voice soft and gentle, trying to figure out if he was awake or asleep. After seeing his wide eyes I figured it was safe to assume he was awake. "Harry, what's wrong?" He started shaking and I swiftly walked over to him.

"I...He...You're not...I'm...Oh..."

"Bad dream about Voldemort?" He nodded and relaxed into the pillow behind his head. "It'll be okay. He's dead." As I sat on the side of the bed I stroked his hair like a mother would do to a frightened child. I whispered condolences and reassurances into the darkness, not even sure he was awake anymore.

"Draco?" He surprised me, I was almost convinced he was asleep.

"Yes Harry?" He yawned before continuing.

"What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Going to the mansion in France. Any reason as to why?"

"Not really." We lapsed into a comfortable silence for the better part of fifteen minutes.

When I had just thought of getting to up to go to bed, Harry moved his hand towards mine, which was on his shoulder. I looked down at our hands and had a burst of happiness that we were finally so comfortable with each other.

"Draco?" his voice clearly stated something along the lines of 'Tired. Sleep. Now.'

"Hmm?" I gently squeezed his hand, letting him know I was listening.

"Thanks. For everything. I owe you."

"You owe me nothing. Now get to sleep."

"Kay." A moment's silence passed, which ended when I attempted to get up.

"Wait." I settled back down.

"Yes?"

"Don't leave." So I didn't. I got up and took my slippers off before settling down next to him. I fell asleep faster than I ever had before.


	7. Chapter 7

I woke up to the sound of humming.

"Draco...Draco...Draaacooo...Wake up Draco!" I rolled over, incoherent curses at the morning trying to claw their way out of my throat. Harry's soft voice tried telling me to open my eyes, so I reluctantly accepted that I needed to get up. "Draco?"

"Hmm?" That was all I could make my voice say.

"Good morning."

"What do I smell?"

"Ah...I uh...I made breakfast, but if you don't want it..."

I sat up. "Gimme, I'm starving." He put a tray filled with all kinds of breakfast foods on my lap. Including my coffee and a small glass of orange juice. I ate quickly at first, but forced myself to slow down so I could appreciate the flavors properly. "That was amazing, thank you."

"My pleasure. Cooking is one of my only strong-suits."

"Along with flying?"

"Well...that depends."

"On what?"

"On who's flying with me." He winked and left the room with the tray of dirty dishes. He came back just as I took in the double meaning of his words. "Well, well, well, the all-proper Draco Malfoy blushes yet again!" I felt my cheeks grow hotter at the comment while he walked towards me.  
He sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes blazing with obvious mirth at rendering me speechless.

"And the powerful pureblood, just lays there, letting his arch-nemesis do as he pleases!" I ducked under the covers to hide my smile. I felt his weight shift as he got off the bed and took the lack of noise as a warning. I mean, that man was never quiet.

That's about when he pounced.

My laughter filled the room as Harry mercilessly tickled me. Somewhere in the span of him pouncing and starting to tickle me, Harry had made his way under the sheets with me. Not that I cared right then, I was too preoccupied with my nerves being teased relentlessly by a seven-year-old in a seventeen-year-old body.

"H-Harry s-stop!" My laughter marred my threats, rendering them meaningless. Which, they pretty much were. Suddenly the sensation stopped and I panted, trying to catch my breath. "Not...cool...jerk..."

"I thought it was funny." He wrapped his arms around me. "If it really bothered you so much, then I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's just been a long time since I've ever had fun."

"Like...Your whole life?"

"Yeah, pretty much." I relaxed into his arms and closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was gazing into emerald green pools. "Hi."

"Hey. So, to France? Right?" I nodded. "I've never been to France. Let's go!" I smiled and got up. Harry's chatter about going places wasn't annoying like I used to think. It was kind of sad, in a way. This poor man hadn't been anywhere before Hogwarts, except down his street, a store and a zoo. It saddened me that the only traveling he had ever done was to either hide or kill. Excluding Hogwarts and Diagon Alley of course. I was determined to fix that.

"Harry?" I cut him off in mid-sentence.

"Yes?"

"Are we going or not?" I was suddenly eager to get a move on showing him different places, for fun and not for killing or fighting for his life. For relaxing.

"Yeah...wait, I don't have all my stuff..."

"We'll get your stuff now then. Just show me where to go." He took my hand and we apparated to the strangest, and neatest, house I have ever had the misfortune to enter. It was conformity to a tee.

Harry let my hand go and traveled up a set of stairs and came back down moments later with his things. Which wasn't a lot.

"Let's go." His voice was slightly tight, and I quickly took his hand to apparate us to the Mansion in France.

"Where are we...?"

"My garden. When I was young, I needed something to do to occupy my time. Something out of the way, and calming. Dobby gave me a section of the land so I could garden in peace."

"It's so beautiful..."

"As I grew older, my skills increased, allowing me to expand on my plants and charms. When I'm away, all I have to do is activate one charm that magically freezes time here and I can come back to it anytime I want to. Another is that no matter what season it is, each flower is perfectly preserved in the conditions it will thrive in."

"Wow...it's gorgeous..." I smiled.

"No one's ever been here but me. And Dobby, but he doesn't count as he worked for us. He used to acquire the plants I wanted and left them in the shed outside. It's charmed to sustain any and all life within it. It's like...a breeding shed if you will."

"Cool." I watched as he walked around.

Years before I had imagined what I'd do if I ever saw Harry by himself. But that slowly changed, and with that change came a softness I didn't know I possessed. For instance, two years ago I would've strangled him if he ever knew about this garden. As of a year ago, I'd do anything for him. Two years ago I wanted to jinx him...now I wanted nothing more than to hold him.

It was all very confusing if I thought about it like that. So I just thought about the now.

I sat on the edge of a fountain, one of twenty-three if I remembered correctly, and continued to watch him. He didn't touch anything, he just gazed around him in wonder. Only after he walked around the area surrounding the fountain did he look up at me.

"Draco...this is awesome...it's so...peaceful." I smiled and stood to match his gaze.

"A lot like myself, I daresay." Still smiling, I looked up at the clear blue sky. 

"Well...I'm usually peaceful. Sometimes it's harder than you could possibly imagine."

"Why?" I looked around at all the flowers and birds surrounding us, suddenly wishing I wasn't who I was. Wishing I was anyone else in the world. I didn't want to ruin the perfect moment. I didn't want to pop the secure little bubble around my life.  
I didn't want to lose him.

"Draco?" I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, thinking over my answer.

"Can we come back to that, please?"

"Sure...I guess..."

"I only say that because...it'll be easier to explain at night. Just promise...promise me you won't think any differently of me."

"Well, I'll still enjoy your company if that's what you mean. I'll try." I let that pacify me. For the rest of the afternoon, we set up two separate rooms on opposite ends of the mansion. I was in the East Wing, second floor and he was in the West Wing, first floor.

When the butler announced dinner, we ate in silence, both knowing that tonight would change a lot in our friendship. After we both finished our food, I took his hand and apparated us to my garden.

"So...do I get to know now?" His voice was cautious and wary. Almost frightened, like he was afraid of saying something wrong. I sighed.

"Yes, I suppose you should know." I sat down heavily on the stone bench I had built three years ago and stared up at the stars. One in particular caught my eye and I talked, drawing strength from the tiny white dot in the pitch-black sky.

"Harry...My real father is dead. And no, it's not Lucius, although he is also deceased. My real father's name was Robert. Mother had an affair with him just before getting married to Lucius, making my birth the perfect timing. 

Everyone, including Lucius, thought that I was his and not conceived from another man outside of matrimony. Until I turned fifteen, I was able to lead a perfectly normal life. I was completely unaware of the creature inside me until I woke up officially fifteen. I always imagined being happy and sporting the usual...issue I had then. Instead, I woke up sporting boobs and a tail. She then decided to tell me about Robert.

"I'm a Fayeleat. It's a person who transforms to anything that their...mate...desires. A changed Fayeleat has little or no control of their abilities to change. Robert was changed when he was twenty, a total of almost thirty years ago. I can control it to an extent, since I was born a Fayeleat. I can change willingly when conscious, and yet when I'm unconscious, if the willpower of my mate is strong enough I can't control what I become.

"Oh, and you should also know that I have a mate. However, if I ever get the chance to claim him, I have to turn him. Fayeleats are too powerful for a human to be able to handle."

"But...I'm not sure I follow..."

"Because Fayeleats are magical creatures, they can kill humans with their strength. We're simply too powerful to be able to keep a human around us for a relationship. We can't control all of our actions like humans can."

"Okay...So why are you telling me this at night rather than during the day?" I thought carefully before giving my answer.

"It's...complicated, I guess."

"My whole life is complicated."

"Point taken. I just...I guess I'm afraid that you'll run away." At this admission, I took a sudden interest in the grass at my feet. I wasn't used to displaying emotions so readily on my face, especially fear.

"I swear, I won't run away." How I wish that were true...

"Okay. I'm telling you at night because that's when the mate of a Fayeleat finds out who they're mated to. Normally they have no idea what's going on. They only know they're attracted to someone."

"But I still don't get why..."

"Because when my mate realizes...becomes aware...whatever you want to call that, then I'm supposed to receive all of my potential. It's like...I'm not sure, but I'm supposed to do something cool. I just figured I should warn you."

"So...why not tell me this morning?" Damn, he's a persistent one...

"Because A, I didn't have anything thought out and I needed to organize my thoughts. And B, because my timing sucks ass." His brow furrowed.

"How does...If your mate is conscious how will they 'realize' it?"

"Subconsciously. They won't even realize it at the time because it's a continuing process that takes anywhere from days to years. So if my mate was conscious and realized it while awake, then they wouldn't even noticed-they have to wait until they slept next." I stopped abruptly, and clutched my left arm.

The burning sensation was right where the Dark Mark had been forced upon me. As I struggled to keep my eyes open and my legs steady, I could feel the acid-like burning almost pushing the inside of my arm out.

Almost like it was pushing the Mark straight out of my skin.

As suddenly as the pain came, it left. I quickly lifted my sleeve an inch, almost expecting the blackness to still be there. But it wasn't.

I pushed my sleeve up completely, only to reveal smooth, flawless skin. Unmarred by the black that haunted my dreams for so many months. I looked up in awe, and Harry stared right back.

"Harry...it's gone..."

"Why? How is that possible?"

"It's starting. Their subconscious knows." I smiled, a real smile, and fell on my back. Completely giving control of my body up to the creature inside, I stared at the stars in pure bliss.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw a bright blue light, seeming to come out from the core of my body and lift me up from the blanket of grass, ten feet into the air. My body was still horizontal when my lungs filled with air. It felt like the first time I had ever inhaled. I blinked, and it was like I could never see clearly before. I swallowed and suddenly my hearing was better than crystal-clear.

"My mate knows. And somewhere out there, they're waiting for me."

My voice was hushed with awe at the beauty I felt all around me.

My body slowly righted itself in the air and floated back down, gently. I landed on my feet without a sound.

"Harry..." He looked torn between sadness and amazement. I looked at him kindly and took his hand. "Come on." I apparated us to his room and looked at him for the longest time. "Harry, I think you need some rest to think on what I've told you and what you just witnessed." My pause went unnoticed and he agreed quickly. "You know how to find my room?" He nodded and relayed the directions to get from his room to mine. I then walked him to the side of his bed and sat him down on the edge.

"Harry," I sat down beside him, not wanting to seem intimidating. "What's wrong? I'm not blind, you know."

"I'm just...a little envious but I'll get over it soon enough." He stood and got dressed for bed, with me tucking him in soon after.

My heart felt heavy, but I forced my spirit to remain light. He just needed to sleep it off. I put the poor man in shock, no doubt. Upon arriving in my room, I saw that my bed had been turned down and I immediately slid into the Japanese silk sheets. I feel asleep almost instantly.

Dreams swirled around, none of them making any real sense. Colors chased each other, and images frolicked in and out of black. Around three in the morning, a hesitant sound woke me.

"...Draco...?" I opened my eyes to find that I had taken to lying on my side facing the door with my left arm under the pillow, my right reaching out towards the rest of the very empty bed. I sat up, slowly, just taking my surroundings in and pondering over the way I woke up. I never slept on my side before, and it perplexed me.

"Harry, what's the matter?" My voice was raw with sleep and concern and excitement all at the same time. He smiled then. I mean really smiled. His teeth flashed and his eyes lit up. I let out a pent-up breath and reached out towards him.

"Come on." He climbed up onto the bed, almost having to jump since my mattress was so thick. Once he made it up, we fell asleep almost instantly. I finally felt whole for once, and the feeling put me to sleep faster than a bottle of warm milk would an infant or small child.

The next day was a rainy one. I woke up with the first flash of lightning, Harry curled into my side using my shoulder as a pillow. He looked so peaceful in that moment.

Until the clap of thunder.

He jumped and jerked wildly looking to and fro...and in my opinion he was scared.

"Harry?" He was back in my arms, shaking, before I had the time to register what had occurred. "Shh, it's okay. It's just a storm, it won't hurt you."

"I don't like it." His voice was distorted with fear and muffled by his makeshift pillow.

"But..." I briefly remembered him making a reference to a muggle song once. "But storms make rain. And rain makes corn. And corn makes whiskey. And whiskey is good, right?" He looked up.

"Yeah, I guess. You remembered that?"

"Always. Well, maybe not always, but it's catchy once you remember it." His brow smoothed out and his eyes softened.

"Hermione was wrong about you."

"Oh?"

"We all were. You're actually a great person. I'm sorry for rejecting you in first year."

"Don't be. I needed a reality check. It was good for me, being told no for once. Besides, I was wrong for starting it. Call it even."

"Okay. Oh, and I have a question." Another clap of thunder made him flinch.

"Shoot."

"What happens now that I know?"

"Know what?"

"That...I'm your mate. What happens now?"

"Well first I eat your intestines...Just kidding. No really, first you need to eat."

"Aren't you hungry too?"

"Well..." I laid back down on the bed and he settled down next to me, both of us still wrapped up in each other's warm embrace. "See, what happened when you found out...it made me not need food to sustain my life source anymore. I can eat, I just don't need to. It's somewhat of a defence mechanism, so if you were ever hurt, I could spend days, even weeks without needing sleep or food so I could find you faster and heal you sooner. Technically I'll never need to eat again. I don't really need to sleep either, although I will need periodic rests to have enough energy stored up in case something happens.

"See, when your subconscious registered your...fate...future...whatever, then my body reacted accordingly. You witnessed a cleansing and life-sustaining change in me."

"So how do you...How are you...?"

"What do I have to do to change you?" He nodded. "Well, go through a hell of a lot of pain, to be honest."

"What? No."

"Yes, because it shows me how to utilize my full powers and it proves just how far I'm willing to go for you."

"So...what else?"

"Well, you need to eat first. A decent meal, mind you. And then it gets a little hazy from there."

"What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Well...it's a trust thing. You have to be able to trust me and I have to trust my instincts. I won't know what happens next until I'm supposed to be doing it. It's also somehow linked to me being able to better know if you're ever in trouble or hurt." A house-elf brought in a tray of food and left hastily. I let Harry eat while I lost myself in my own thoughts.

"Okay." I looked up to find the tray on the nightstand and Harry sitting across from me.

"What?"

"Do whatever it is your gut tells you to do. I trust you." He looked at me with his big green eyes, and I knew that he did, indeed, trust me with every fiber of his being.

"Okay." I took his hand and apparated to a private section of my garden-even more private and heavily guarded than my own loo-and placed him down on a bed of white daisies.

He lightly touched my face, just a bare brush of skin on skin.

"I trust you. I'm not worried about this." I took a deep breath and nodded. I just hoped I could forgive myself later on.

I kissed him and he let me, and even participated at one point. I kissed down his neck and over his pulse, biting down until I felt his blood hit my lips. He yelled out, and I kept going, biting the insides to his wrists and ankles. He had passed into unconsciousness awhile ago, and I cut open my own wrist, holding it over his cuts, letting our blood mingle and letting their hearts pound the different blood into the rest of them.

He watched as Harry's eyes opened, surprised at all the wetness around him. He could see the exact moment that Harry realized what had happened, and his eyes opened wider before relaxing.

"I trust you." His voice was soft, and encouraged him to continue with what he was doing. He took the dagger that he had always kept with him as a teenager and student at Hogwarts. It had silver at the hilt, twining around a deep red ruby stone. He cut an X directly over their hearts and pressed them together, before all of their wounds healed. The two cuts continued bleeding together until all of their blood had been intermingled, and then healed together.

Harry had lain very still at realizing this, and let Draco do what needed to be done. Draco, hating himself for having to put Harry through this, reached down and took Harry's hand.

"Harry...I'm sorry." Before Harry could respond, he pulled away rapidly, effectively tearing them apart. It hurt like hell, he wasn't going to lie. And if it had hurt, him then that pain would be reflected and added to Harry's pain. Which, in turn, was reverberated to him. And so on it went, until they both passed out.

When Draco came to, he looked at the other, and summoned bandages. He cleaned Harry's wounds and dressed them according to what they would need. Harry came to just as he finished with the last wound.

"You're hurt too." It was then, and only then, that Draco realized that was true. He had completely forgotten that he was injured in his concern for Harry. He was so focused on making sure Harry didn't get an infection, he had forgotten about the pain and itching from the crusting blood. He quickly waved it off.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Harry wouldn't think anything of leaving it alone and started to dress his wounds similarly to how he had done his. But surprisingly, he had a strange sense that this was the final part of what he had to do.

"Why are you so nice after everything I did to you? I felt the pain you went through."

"Because, oddly as it seems, I seem to have feelings for you. Remember?" And indeed, he did remember. Somewhat.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I like you too." He didn't have time to say anything else as Harry had pulled him in for a kiss just then, the bandages on his wrists rubbing against his neck as arms encased him.


	8. Chapter 8

Draco managed to get them back to the Manor and he settled Harry down in his bed. Harry sunk down into the softness.

"Mmm...I love your bed..."

"It's a rose petal mattress with silk sheets. It's relaxing to me." He slipped in next to the other and settled in for the night and possibly until the next afternoon by the way he was feeling. They fell asleep holding each other and Draco woke up at two in the morning.

Harry was tossing slightly but as soon as Draco whispered his name, he opened his eyes and stopped moving.

"Yes?" He seemed to force his voice to sound confused, and Draco knew that he knew what question would follow.

"What's wrong?" Harry just shook his head.

"Just a dream. I'm okay, really." Draco nodded and laid his head back down on the pillow. Harry followed suit.

"Harry?"

"Draco?" He mimicked the blond right down to the tone of his voice.

"Ha, funny. What do you like to do?" He looked genuinely confused this time.

"Um...what do you mean?" His brow furrowed, and Draco reached out to smooth the lines down. Half of his reasoning being that he didn't want him to get wrinkles, the other half because he wanted him to calm down, to understand that he never meant any harm, that he had nothing to worry about.

"What type of hobbies do you have, what do you like to do for fun?"

"Um...I don't know..." Draco's eyes widened. Had the man in front of him never had fun? How was that even allowed that the Boy-Who-Lived never had fun? That wasn't right.

"I'm taking you out tomorrow. You're going to have fun if it kills me." He slowly drifted to sleep, aware that Harry was watching him. He didn't care. He just wanted Harry to have fun and if he wanted to stare at him, then that was all right in his mind. He was kind of comforted that Harry would want to look at him. When he was almost asleep, just on the precipice of sleep, he felt Harry lean down and kiss him.  
He didn't bother rousing himself this time. He'd just wake Harry up the next day with something similar. Knowing that Harry never really had fun, he assumed he never really woke up to anything other than an alarm or yelling. He was determined to break that pattern, and Merlin help anyone who foiled his plans.

Draco woke up a few hours later and looked at the sun. By the way it was shining into the room and onto the rug, he figured it to be about nine in the morning. Remembering the promise he made to himself the last time he went to sleep, he propped himself up on his arms and gently kissed Harry until he woke up.

"Hey." He was surprised to see that Harry looked confused. "Am I seriously awake, or am I in a dream still? Because if I am, then I need to wake up before anyone or anything gives me a headache before I'm even out of bed." Draco nuzzled his neck and let himself inhale the intoxicating scent that was Harry.

"You're seriously awake. Now, let's go. Rise and shine dear, we have a lot to do in a small amount of time!" He hopped up and off the bed and started throwing shirts and pants around so they created a small storm that just so happened to be directed at the brunet.

"Okay, okay! As long as you stop throwing the cashmere at me, I'll get up." He stopped throwing cloths and instead dressed himself. He had chosen a plain blue shirt and a pair of jeans, something that Draco Malfoy would never have been caught dead in a year prior to that morning.

As soon as Harry was dressed, they took the train to a nearby city and he dragged his companion to the nearest theatre to watch a movie.

"What are we doing here?"

"We're going to watch a movie, now come on!" He pulled him into the theatre number that matched the one on their tickets and climbed the stairs to the very back, determined to not be able to be seen by anyone else. He wanted to be the only one to see Harry's reaction to being in a movie theatre for the first time. His heart pounded in his chest as his mind asked questions that he'd rather not think about.

They sat in the middle of the back row, and Draco pulled Harry to him as the film started. Glad that he had already seen this one, he watched Harry instead of the screen. An overwhelming sense of love and loyalty overcame him just as the main characters had their closing scene. Harry looked up, and Draco kissed his forehead, attempting to convey how he felt.  
"I love you." His voice conveyed what his lips could not. He cheek felt wet, and he realized that Harry was crying. "Hey, what's wrong?" Harry shook his head.

"Nothing. I just…I love you too. I think I always have, in a way. And thank you."

Draco felt his heart soar as a mini party occurred in his mind. He was absolutely ecstatic that Harry wasn't upset with him.

Those two traitors. How dare they?! I, Harry's best friend, am ditched for the one person Harry used to hate. HATE! I don't know what's gotten into him, but I'm determined to bring him back and find out. And if he's sincere, then I'll make him pay.

I'll make him pay.

I'll make him pay so bad he'll wish that Voldemort had killed him off when he had the chance.

And Malfoy.

I never really could stand him. He was always strutting about the school when we were boys as if he owned the whole thing. And really, he didn't but that's not the point. The point is that he never let anyone stand up for themselves and he never did what was right, but what he wanted to do just because his father was rich.

And now that it's all over, he expects me to sit back and let him have MY best friend?

Harry is MY best friend, and I'll be damned if I let anyone take him away from me.

So, I think it's time to pay Mr. Malfoy Big Shot a visit. Or more specifically, I think it's time for me to kidnap Harry and make sure the slimy git didn't do anything bad to hurt my friend.

I woke up a little dazed and confused. The last thing I remembered was Draco laughing in the next room. It didn't make sense.

Had I woken up on a nice, non lumpy bed I wouldn't be concerned. But this bed was lumpy and smelly and clearly very, very old and worn. Either that, or it was a very bad conjuring job. I was leaning towards a little of both.

The next thing I noticed, was that I had to be in an attic. From the way that the ceiling pointed upwards and the old musty smell, I'd say an old one at that. And that orangey glow...I knew that from somewhere. Where had I seen that colour orange before?

It was about then that I saw him. Ronald. The one best friend that I thought would support me no matter what decision I made, no matter who I decided to talk to. The one that ultimately betrayed me. I flinched. And, lo and behold, my wrists and ankles felt shackles attached to them. This was going too far.

Everything that must have happened hit me in about two seconds. Firstly, he had probably kidnapped me. But why and how and when I was unsure of. Of course, it didn't matter. What mattered was that I was kidnapped. The next thing that I realized was that I was not only kidnapped, but chained to a very old bed. I suddenly felt very open and uncomfortable. It occurred to me that he could do anything he wanted to me. Torture, hurt, starve, humiliate, yell...several other terrible horrors flicked through my mind all at once, but one stuck out in particular. Rape. He had the potential power to do that to me if he so desired. Suddenly, my panic levels raised about fifty million percent.

I was in the drawing room when I saw an overexcited Dobby try to explain that he wasn't supposed to be eaten to one of my fly traps outside the window. It was one of the funniest things I had seen in a long time. The entire time I was in the drawing room, I was reading and editing an article for the paper on what kinds of plants survive best in the controversial debate over conquering the plants versus buying and growing from seeds.

It wasn't until about three hours later that he felt it. An irresistible pull in his gut. He ignored it, assuming that it was his baser instincts to go and...well he wasn't going to go down those thought roads just now. It would be unprofessional to think like that while editing an article over plants of all things.

A few moments later, he felt it again. Except this was different. He now felt a full blown panic attack coming on, and he had nothing to panic about. It was then that he realized he still felt the pull in his gut. He knew, instinctively, that Harry was in trouble. He ran outside, spread his wings, and let his body take over.

It wasn't too long and I recognized the Weasley's house. I felt his body guiding him easily, showing me where to maneuver and how to move as to not draw attention to myself and to remain in control and silent. I also felt the undeniable rage that was positively boiling in me. How dare that Weasley attempt to kidnap my mate?! I would make him pay.

I landed on the attic window, and I felt myself sliding in without a sound.   
The sight that met my eyes was horrendous.

Harry was strapped to a bed, naked except for his boxers and socks. I realized that this must be what he was in before the redhead managed to try to sneak him away from me. It did little to calm my body, which insisted that the rest of his clothing had been ripped off of him in an attempt to take advantage of his current state.

I could see the Weasley clearly, even if it was rather darker in the attic than it would seem likely from the outside. I could also see a really disgusting ghoul-purple with green bumps everywhere-that was both naked and cackling like a madman. This was too much.

I was ready to panic when I was told that the ghoul would be deciding upon my punishment for letting myself go as much as I had-whatever that meant. I was too focused on the disgusting creature undressing itself before me. I hoped beyond hope that it was only going to make me look at the ugliness and not actually do anything. My suspicions told me that I was wrong to hope.

But as I thought that, I could clearly see a blond head come through the window on my left. My body relaxed instantly until I saw Draco attack Ronald. It was on then, I could clearly see that.

The two fought tooth and nail over me, and it all ended with a sickening crunch and a scream from my former friend.

I could clearly see that Harry was distressed, and I made my way to him quickly. Instincts were trying to get me out of here as fast as possible and to get home where I could make sure that nothing like this ever happened again. I picked him up, noticing his body relax against mine instantly, something that made my inner animal sing with pride.

About halfway to where we had started a few hours earlier, I felt Harry stir. He had fallen asleep somewhere along the way, and I was perfectly content that he was so relaxed with me that he could fall asleep in my arms while we were miles from the ground. I looked down at him, admiring the way his bright eyes looked at me with a mixture of indecision and determination. I simply kissed his forehead and flew on, hardly able to wait to ask what his inner dilemma was.


	9. Chapter 9

I flew to his room, slowly letting us float down to the ground once more. I set him down in his bed softly, reveling in the fact that I saved him. I was upset that I had to save him in the first place, but you can't have everything.

I was just glad he was okay.

I tried to walk away, I really did. But something held me from walking through the door, instinct maybe. So I turned and contented myself with just watching him sleep.

I knew he was still there with me, but I didn't say anything. Instead, I got up after an hour of useless sleeping (well trying to sleep and not succeeding). We spent the rest of the night arguing.

It wasn't my fault I was turned on by him saving me.

I sat down next to Draco, reveling in his presence. It still amazed me that he was willing to put up with me and my childish antics. It would seem that never really getting a chance to be a child kinda built up and decided to come out once I realized that I wouldn't get into trouble for it.

Draco and I had been together for years now. I was turning seventy-six tomorrow, and we hadn't ever separated. Oh sure, we had a few tiffs and I would kick him out of bed for the night. But nothing ever lasted more than a few hours. We were just like when we were kids at Hogwarts-have a fight and then walk away. Except we don't keep grudges now.

His arm wrapped around me, held me to him. I looked at his face, wondering if he had anything to say. He didn't. He just kissed me.

It would seem that we would stay like this forever, and if that was to be the case, then I was very okay with that arrangement.


End file.
